1. Technical Field
This invention relates to fishing lures and, more particularly, to a scented fishing lure for attracting and catching fish.
2. Prior Art
Various types of fishing lures are known in the prior art, and most will catch fish. However, fisherman have found that they can improve the performance of a lure by applying a liquid, oil or gel to the lure that makes it smell more appealing to the predatory fish. Unfortunately, applying scent to a solid fishing lure, such as crank baits, has proven to be troublesome for a number of reasons.
One problem that arises immediately is the mess created by manually applying the scented oils, liquids or gels to an exterior surface of the lure. This causes the scent to impregnate the fisherman's skin, which is not desirable. A further disadvantage is the fact that scents, especially in the form of oils and gels, have a tendency to distort the appearance of the fishing lure exterior surface once it is placed in the water. Another drawback of applying scents to a fishing lure is the fact that such scents have a tendency to quickly dissolve into the water, and thus require frequent reapplication.
In response to these drawbacks, scented fishing lures were introduced to the prior art. One such example generally discloses a fishing lure formed from fibrous material which is impregnated with a fish attracting substance. However, the principal difficulty with devices of this type is impregnating the fibrous fishing lure body with the fish attractant substance. Furthermore, the fibrous material still has a tendency to release the scent too rapidly, thus requiring frequent rescenting thereof.
Other disclosed examples include lures formed from fish food which provides a scent to attract fish, lures formed of materials that have been intermixed with scents such as a lure with a fish oil intermixed with the plastic formulation from which the lure is made, and a slowly dissolving lure made of a polymer with an fish scent attractant impregnated therein. Further examples include lures having inner receptacles containing scented substances or fluids such as a lure comprising a pouch for receiving bait or scented substances and a fishing scent delivery system comprising a bladder which releases a fishing scent material in the vicinity of a fishing lure. Other types of scent bearing lures include those in which scent impregnated materials not integral to the lure structure are included. Unfortunately, lures made of materials with scents impregnated therein have limited lifetimes and over time, the intensity of the scent diminishes, thus rendering the lure less appealing to fish.
Accordingly, a need remains for a scented fishing lure in order to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a scented fishing lure that is easy to use, increases the chances of attracting a fish, and is adaptable in design to various fishing applications. Such a scented fishing lure provides a convenient way to use a scent for attracting more fish and drawing more strikes. The scent trail left by the lure convinces predatory fish that the lure is alive and represents an easy meal. Such a scent trail also draws fish to the lure in dark, cloudy water, and thus helps the fish to find the lure and strike at it more accurately. The liquid, gel, or oils used for scent also have an attractive taste to the predatory fish, which encourages them to hold onto the bait for longer periods of time. This advantageously gives the fisherman an increased amount of time to respond to an initial strike, and to set the hook more securely. The scented fishing lure is more appealing than conventional fishing lures because it requires fewer reapplications of the scent, and eliminates the need for the fisherman to directly contact the scented materials.